I Will Trust In You

He takes my hand. 

That farmer of mine. 

I ask him how he is. 

He says fine. 

See, 

he lives by the thought;

If I live; 

Great. 

If I die;

Better.

 He asks me how I am?

I begin to weep. 

You see, because I don't want to lose him. 

Because I am tired. 

I am weary. 

I am tired of bad news. 

I know there is good in everything. 

I seek that which is good. 

But today. 

For the moment. 

I am not fine. 

I am sad. 

I am scared. 

I am numb. 

The CT scan showed some spots. 

Spots that shouldn't be there. 

Spots to a cancer patient can mean death. 

They can also be scar tissue. 

The tears continue to flow as I work through my thoughts. 

It's fine if my farmer is ok with dying. 

It's me that isn't. 

And there it is. 

Me. 

When you walk with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

There is no room for the me. 

There doesn't have to be. 

He has it all. 

He has gone before us. 

He will go with us. 

When we focus on the "me" our focus has shifted off the

 One who holds the key. 

The One who gives and extends grace. 

The One who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

The One that traveled to Calvary that we might have life. 

He bore all so we didn't have to. 

This same God offers us His promise. 

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I tell my farmer I can't do this again. 

I can't watch him go through chemo. 

I can't. 

I don't have it in me. 

How will we survive? 

It is not until the evening. 

When the farmhouse sighs in the quiet that I hear the sound of my Savior. 

I have this, He says. 

No. 

You can not do this. 

You have no more to give. 

No more strength. 

It is now that I will be glorified. 

No matter what happens. 

I sense the very presence of the Almighty. 

We are here on this earth to bring glory and honor to the One 

who breathed breath into our beings. 

Our purpose to bring about His Kingdom. 

I do not know the future. 

I only know this moment. 

And I am going to make it count. 

I'm going to breathe in the glory of the moment. 

I'm placing my eyes heavenward. 

No matter how this journey plays out I am going to trust. 

One of my readings in the Ancient Word has been through Exodus.

God is asking Moses to go to his people. 

To bring a message that makes them uneasy. 

He is asking them to leave a place where they are familiar. 

He asks them to go to the unknown. 

God was working a plan. 

Moses nor the Israelite's could see that plan. 

They needed to be open and willing to be obedient. 

They were being asked to trust.

 To leave a place that was home to travel to a place unknown. 

Are we willing to trust God

to take us places we might not be familiar with? 

My farmer and I are on a journey that is not familiar. 

We are being asked to be obedient. 

We are being asked to trust. 

I am holding tightly to the Promises set before the world began. 

The hope that rests in the Father's way. 

He has the plan. 

He is good. 

I may not like the plan. 

I don't have to. 

He will still do the work He has planned. 

Through it all He will be glorified. 

I am willing to take the journey. 

I am willing to see what He has in store. 

I will trust. 

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Lauren Daigle

I Will Trust In You

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings 
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

Are You Able To Look Forward?

No matter how you look at it. 

This life can be hard. 

It can be painstakingly beautiful, too. 

Sometimes it just seems like the pain rises to the top. 

Usurping the joy. 

Isn't that Satan's way? 

He wants to steal our joy. 

He wants to bring this world to it's knees. 

Missing the beauty of the redemption in Christ. 

Blinding us to that which is holy and good. 

It seeps in. 

A bad day at the office. 

Traffic. 

Money issues. 

Kids challenging authority. 

"Busy"ness; running from one kids activity to the next;

all good things. 

All meaningful and important. 

Yet slowly pulling us apart. 

We struggle to find the good in things; 

to take time to be quiet. 

To silence the crazy around us. 

 We wake some mornings wondering where the time went. 

How we got to this place?

I want to fight that mentality. 

I want everything I do here to count for God's glory. 

To be intentional about each step I take. 

To be surrendered to our Holy God so much that I am in tune with His plan. 

Tomorrow our soon to be graduate will share her Senior Testimony at church. 

She will concisely put together her journey in her faith. 

She has been working on what she will say. 

Typing it out. 

Re reading it. 

Practicing. 

Checking the timing. 

So different from her older brother. 

He sat at the breakfast bar with some 40 days left on this earth. 

He scratched out some words on an index card. 

He asked for a reference to a bible verse. 

And he delivered a speech that was powerful and in so many ways his last words to us. 

And I fight the fear that grows. 

Are these her last words too?

I cry for God to not take her too. 

And this life can be hard. 

Satan desires to steal my joy. 

He longs for me to not enjoy these days. 

To be overcome with fear and apprehension. 

But he will not stand. 

Isaiah 8:10

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; 

propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Because our God is stronger and our God is mighty. 

I John 3:20

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts,

 and he knows everything.

With God on my side, 

I will stand through these days. 

I will trust Him and rest in the joy each day will bring. 

I will not live in fear. 

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I will find the joy. 

I will stand on the hope that awaits me. 

I will look forward to hearing the words this beautiful girl will share. 

I will look forward to seeing how God's plan will unfold in her life. 

I will look forward. 

Proverbs 4:25

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Chris Tomlin 

Our God 

The Reminder That There Is So Much More To Come

Philippians 3:10

But our citizenship is in heaven. 

And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was 16 when I heard the song by Petra,

"Not of This World"

We are envoys, we must tarry

With this message we must carry

There's so much to do before we leave

With so many more who may believe

Our mission here can never fail

And the gates of hell will not prevail

We are strangers, we are aliens

We are not of this world

Read more: Petra - Not Of This World Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

We had a singing group. 

We sang this song. 

The words penetrated my heart.

"Our mission here can never fail. 
The gates of hell will not prevail"

The lyrics played over and over in my mind. 

The seed planted.  

I longed for heaven. 

I longed to share the peace found in a life surrendered. 

My quest for more than 30 years. 

A choice to live; Separate; apart.
Digging deep through words that bring life.
Seeking joy that transcends thought.

Sharing the love of Christ. 

In all we do.

Being stewards of land provided. 

Cultivating a holy marriage, made to last. 

Raising children.

Trusting in the plentiful times and in seasons of deep want. 

It's been 15 months since I have called my boy by name. 

 Each day a longing.

A plan; not my own. 

A path that has to be walked. 

The guttural cries unearthed from deep within. 

Days have turned to months and then a year. 

Reminding myself that we are not of this world. 

There is much yet to come. 

When we hold on to hope we allow the supernatural to enter in. 

God is able to work his beautiful plan.
He holds the pain of our hearts in the palm of his hand.
I hold on to the hope given.
He gives strength to the weary.
My eyes are lifted heavenward.
My feet firmly planted.
My farmer keeps reminding me.
15 months is but a day.

The laundry is waiting.
The farmhouse is beginning to stir.

The day has begun.
I breathe deep.
This day will be about what needs to be done.
I will look for ways to share.
He will guide my steps.


Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. 

The Least of These My Brethren

He sits at my table. 

I feed him.

Physical nourishment. 

We feed him the Word. 

He; the downcast. 

Broken.

Struggling with mental illness. 

Trying to find his way in this world. 

He sits at my table. 

I fight the thoughts that permeate my mind. 

My son. 

Buried deep beneath the earth. 

Not at my table; while this one lives. 

Why? 

My son; a hard worker.

So young. 

A lover of God. 

Gone. 

And here. 

At my table the least of these. 

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you,

 whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,

 you did for me.'

I feed him. 

I pray in my heart for the demons that fill him to be gone. 

To receive the medical help he needs. 

This young man.

Each day a struggle. 

The least of these my brethren. 

I bow to the Holy. 

These days belong to the Lord. 

His will above mine. 

His ways. 

Isaiah 55:9

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I relinquish my heartache and pain. 

I can not carry it. 

The longing too great. 

The pain crushing. 

I step into the work for today. 

Life on life. 

The gospel.

Life changing. 

Hope. 

Show Me How What I Wanted Isn't Best For Me

It was Early Sunday Morning his Spirit left his earthly body. 

In the wee hours.
While the night was still dark. 

While I slept. 

My boy left this earth.

The shock of those days have lessened. 

They still fill me with a sickening feeling when I think of them. 

There is much I still do not know about that time. 

I can't. 

It was Sunday morning when the heaven's declared God's majesty.

Oh how our hearts ache.
We long for this to be a bad dream.
I want something I can never have.
Each morning I wrestle with the knowledge that Elijah will never come home. 
His room, still the same as the day he left.
Some clothes I can't bear to move.
Sometimes I feel stuck.
Like, if I wait long enough, things will change.
He will come home. 
So the struggle becomes the journey.
My soul needs to be recharged.
Refocused.
This is a daily task.
Sometimes moment by moment.
My heart hurts.
My family different.
There will always be a space.
Someone missing.
It will consume and over power me if I let it.
The negative thoughts, the pain.
I breathe deep. 
My prayer has become, "show me Lord ."

Psalm 5:8
Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- 
make your way straight before me.

Show me how to live this way.
Show me how what I wanted, wasn't best for me.
Change my heart. 
Show me where my steps should travel.
Place before me the folks I need to touch;
the folks that my soul needs.
God will equip me for the rest of this life's journey.
I will rest in the hope of a risen Savior.
I will cling to the Ancient Word.
 I find peace in the moment. 

Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

Even In The Searing Pain; We are Not Abandoned

I want to avoid his room. 

I haven't been in for a while. 

Sometimes the weight of the pain is crushing. 

I bring laundry up the stairs and turn away quickly. 

I pick up and work for a while. 

When it's time to go downstairs. 

I avoid looking. 

It's been a year. . . and a week. 

How can I do this long term?

How can I survive this piercing pain? 

Some days it is so hard to function. 

I am distracted. 

Unsettled. 

Sad. 

Each moment needing to change my focus and reach for more. 

Seeking the beauty in the struggle. 

We can be consumed by despair. 

Driven by emotions. 

Justifying actions. 

The course has been set. 

Who am I to question? 

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns his face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One, 

Bring many sons to glory

We sing the lyrics. 

My heart hurts. 

The Father turns his face away

The sinless Savior was abandoned.

He bore my sin. 

God turned from Him. 

For me. 

I can barely breathe. 

He turned his face. 

Yet, I am given the promise. 

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, 

for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I have been extended mercy.

Why should I gain from His reward? 
I can not give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart
 His wounds have paid my ransom. 

He will never leave me. 

He will never forsake me.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 
perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, 
but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

He has never left my side. 

Even in the pain of searing loss. 
He has lifted my feet to solid ground.
His face will never turn from us.
He will always be waiting.
Longing for us.
Until He returns.

No one is beyond His love.
No one is beyond His redemption.
He is waiting.
In repentance; forgiveness and restoration await.

Being Molded Hurts

My washing machine is broken.
It's been that way since Saturday.
It's a 5 minute fix.
A sensor that has repeatedly needed to be replaced over the past 4 years.
 5 days, so far, of no laundry.
With 6 people, a dairy farm and hot and humid weather this is a stinky situation.
It is also one that is testing me to the core. 
I don't like the answer I was given.
To wait one week to have a washer serviced is unacceptable in my book.
I have paid for a maintenance warranty.
I have expectations.
They tell me I have options.
I can rent a washer.
My farmer says no.
The last time the technicians installed the washer they did it wrong and
he spent hours fixing the mess they made.
My other option is the Laundry Mat.
I BOUGHT A WASHER SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE LAUNDRY MAT.
I am inconvenienced.
I am so unsettled in my soul.
I want the service department to be diligent.
A week to me is not good service.

I know, first world problems, as Elijah would say. 

 I am trying to be grateful for the inconvenience.
Trying to embrace what God would have me learn through this situation.

Philippians 4:12
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, 
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I struggled to be calm with the service personnel on the phone.
I prayed for her.
I wanted my way.
I am inconvenienced. 
I feel like a child.
I want to scream and get my way.
I am hurting and everything seems overwhelming.
 I need to be content. 
There is a reason.
Being content leads you to grace. 
Grace brings a humbleness and reliance on God.

I head to the Ancient Word.

I read about obedience.
Regardless of the situation.
Obedience is most important.

It is not about me.
It is about being refined and molded into the person Christ wants me to become.

Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; 
he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. 
Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,


Purify my heart Lord. 
Even when things don't go my way, I want to be humble.
I don't want to usurp your ways.
Help me to be content. 
Teach me to see beauty in these situations.

My heart's one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for you, Lord
I choose to be holy. . .
Purify my heart

The Everyday

He comes to visit.
On his way home from work. 

He sits with us on the porch. 

So different. 

Elijah's friend. 

Here to talk about the fundraiser. 

A fund raiser to bless graduates. 

Hopefully many more along the way. 

To help. 

Offer support. 

In Elijah's name. 

Because he has been called home. 

I look at this boy in front of me. 

He and Elijah friends since they were small. 

I can't help but wonder. 

What would Elijah be doing right now?

How hard this must be for Elijah's friend; helping with this fund raiser.

We work out details.

We chat a bit about how he is doing. 

It's time for him to leave. 

I watch him drive away. 

I must surrender, each day, my will, my desires. 

I return to my bible reading. 

It is one step at a time. 

Don't look back. 

Don't attempt to go ahead. 

Just focus on the here. 

Give thanks for the moment. 

Breathe deep. 

Do the best with what God has placed before me. 

Deuteronomy 31:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;

 he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

I know who goes before me.

I know who stands behind. 

The God of Angel armies is always by my side.

* Thursday, August 7, 5:30 pm. On The Davis Farm. Come gather with our community as we enjoy a meal, music and memories. We will raise support for the Elijah Davis Memorial Fund. 

We Can Only Change the Future

She posts this picture.
It's her Anniversary.

The tears just flow.
I can't recall ever seeing this picture.
This dear friend left for adventures and excitement out of New England soon after her wedding. 

Oh how life was back then.
24 years ago.

It wasn't perfect. 

But there is an ache.
For the way things used to be. 
For my son. 

For my mom and dad. 

For my friend; the miles that separate us. 

I was so honored to be her maid of honor. 

How I adored her. 

She was beautiful; her spirit soft and gentle. 

Kind.

She wasn't rough around the edges like I am. 

She was like my cousin. 

Both women I admire greatly.
To see this picture reminds me of all our hopes and dreams back then.
She, now living in Alaska, raising 7 children and homeschooling.
Living with 2 children with Cystic Fibrosis.
Clinging to God's promises.
The oldest a testimony to, medical technology,  healthy eating, self care and grace.
Not taking a moment of this life for granted.
She journals here at Northerncffamily.
24 years is a long time.
So much has happened.
I sometimes long to go back with the knowledge I have now.
There are many things I would do differently.
But then I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't had those experiences..
I can only change the future. 
I want to love more.
Use softer words.
Appreciate better.
Extend mercy.
Share the amazing grace found in Jesus Christ.
I won't get it right all of the time.
But I can try. 
Not for me; but for God.
Because He is all we need.
One act of kindness.
One gentle word.
That's all it takes.
One moment at a time.

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[a]
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Holding On To Hope

The sun peaks through the clouds.

The air warm.

Such a contrast to the winter's relentless icy blast. 

The sounds of Spring cut through the morning stillness.

It is in these moments, each morning, that the strength for the day is nurtured. 

Dormant bulbs burst with the day's warmth. 

The gentle submission to the Father's will. 

The desire to seek obedience over sacrifice. 

We earn nothing. 

It is given. 

Freely. 

Ransom paid long ago for our souls. 

To be. 

To live. 

To have eyes to see the beauty when much has been wiped away. 

Each tender step; held.

Holding on to hope.

There's a gentle breeze and if you're still enough, it pours over the holiness meant just for the day. 

I Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The journey to the cross each day is not easy. 

He never said it would be. 

Through the pressing schedules and the demands of the day I will seek to let the breezes wash over me. 

My anxiety before Him. 

My steps ordered according to His will. 

My sight is limited. Bound by the shackles of this earth. 

The day is coming when those shackles will be loosed. 

And Glory will touch the earth. 

The day is before us. 

How will we impact our world? 

In what direction will be chose to walk today? 

Be thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart. 

Enjoy this link of a sweet sister in the Lord as she ministers musically with all that is within her.

Lori Jean Smith, Be Thou My Vision

He's Said It Twice. I Need To Pay Attention

I've heard it twice. Each time a little different. But I heard it. And when God says something twice you need to stand up and take notice. The first time I heard it. It brought me to my knees. The conviction great. The torment real. The wrestling match begun.

The people of Egypt were willing to go back to the land of slavery: the very land that bound them. Back to the people that enslaved them and treated them cruelly. Rather than head into a new land, the promised land,  with God. 

It struck me. Am I willing to go into this new journey, unknown to me. . . with God; without Elijah?

Or do I want to go back and have Elijah with me?

These are questions that demand an answer. It will take time. Because in my flesh, I want Elijah back. I long to be with him. He's my son.

I find it again in a book I am reading. "Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without him." (You'll Get Through This by Max Lacado.)

He's said it twice. In two different ways. I need to take notice. I know I prefer to go nowhere with God than anywhere without him.

If I am not going with God. Then I don't want to go anywhere. Where He is. I will be.

If that means without my son. Then I need to step forward in that. It doesn't say I have to like it. It doesn't say that I won't grieve with every fiber of my being. Because we are human. And grieving is hard work. Grieving your son, your flesh and blood. . . whom you carried for nine months. . . and now, torn from you is agonizing. It's twisted and hard to sort through. It leaves me raw, tired and spent.

 I need to trust. I  need to look forward to the future God has planned here.

Psalm 48:14

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

Do you want to go nowhere with God, than anywhere without  him?

When Mother's Day Isn't About Getting What You Want

I say good night to the kids. 

The farm house is quieting down. 

I pause, in the doorway to his room, as I do each evening before I head down the stairs. 

I can't stay for long because the feeling is so overwhelming. 

I think over the day. 

Mother's Day; it was so beautiful. 

We cooked on the grill and ate outside. 

We talked and felt the warmth of the sun on our faces. 

It felt good to just enjoy the creation around us.

I turn and head down the stairs. 

The day was not what I expected. 

At some point I was told I needed to be ready to go. 

Leave?

 I didn't want to leave. I wanted to sit. 

Stay in the sun and visit. 

I didn't want to go anywhere. 

That teenage daughter spewed words at me. 

How she tries to plan things and I don't ever like it. 

I mutter something equally as distressing to the effect that I told you what I wanted for the day. 

She huffs off angry and any idea of a Hallmark Mother's Day just left the premises. 

I have a check in my heart. 

This may not be what I want to do, but my daughter has made plans. 

My farmer, who has struggled with basic decision making, has made plans ahead of time. 

 I need to be celebrating.

I need to forget my agenda and submit to the flow of the day. 

Because Mother's Day isn't about getting what you want. 

It's about being the best Mom you can be. 

At this moment that includes doing what the family has planned. 

So often God wants to take us on a road we had not planned. He wants to mold our beings. 

He wants us to go with His Agenda. 

It is so hard when we are not making the plans. 

When what is around the corner is different from what you envisioned. 

We needed to be ready to leave because we were going to the movies. 

And though I didn't want to go. 

I went. 

You know what? I loved it. 

We went to see, "Mom's Night Out".

For me it was refreshing and funny. 

Many days I feel the same way, worn and weary; about to lose my mind. 

(except the cleaning part and of course there was very little coffee. Which puzzled me.)

Critic's have bashed the movie in many ways and I find that hard to believe. 

 A movie that portrays a stay at home mom on the edge with a supportive husband is a gem. 

Maybe it hit's a nerve a little too close. 

The desire to hide in the closet. Eating undisclosed amounts of chocolate? 

Because aren't we all. .  .on edge that is? 

My life isn't perfect. 

I scream, yell, mess up, have an untidy house, feel overwhelmed and tired. 

Throw in your father succumbing to the memory thief, the death of your mom to cancer, the sudden heart wrenching death of your child, cancer and clinical depression all in a 9 month span.

And I am tired.

Seeing a movie that portrayed those emotions in a comedy was a relief from all the mundane. 

It was a relief to dodge foul language, cruel and demeaning dialogue. 

It was encouraging to be able to take my 16 and 8 year old to the same movie and it not be animated. 

While this was not what I had envisioned for the day I am glad I went.

I left feeling refreshed; light hearted from laughing. 

(laughing is good for you. Did you know that? And so is coffee.)

While nothing in my life these days is the way I envisioned it to be . 

I know there is One who has envisioned it all. 

I am not going to get it all right. 

I can't please everyone. 

But I can do the job God sent me here to do. 

I can be faithful to that purpose. 

Because what is right around the corner, may not be what I expected,

but it is no surprise to the Faithful One. 

I Thessolonians 5:23-24

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. 

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

When Trusting Comes Hard

 I have a confession to make. I don't trust Him enough. 

At all. 

I get a call from a friend. 

She says I am not trying to be a nosy neighbor but I wanted you to
know your tractor and manure spreader were stopped by the police. 

I start to shake. 

I tell her thank you. I can't stop shaking. 

I call Gary. 

I hang up the phone. 

I sit at the desk and shake.
The tank could have flipped.
My mind races.
I relive the accident night over again. 

I hear God's voice.  Do you trust me enough?

 My shaky voice answers, No.

I don't trust you enough. At all.  

I am weary from this walk. 

My soul fragile. 

And a phone call can leave me undone.
I breathe deep until the shaking stops.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,
 for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 I look out the window.
 Memories of children running through the yard flash through my mind.
I can hear them calling to each other.
I want to go back. 
I long for the days when the kids were younger.
When they were all in my care.
When I met their needs and cooked and we all sat at the table together.
No candle for a space holder.

And I stop.
 No marriage and a son in law.

No sweet Lilah Rose.

These are not my decisions to make. 
Long before the dawn of time these days were known.
I say so to my farmer when he comes in.
He says not me. I don't want to go back. 
I don't want to lose any ground. Heaven can't come soon enough.
Is it possible to stop living while you're alive?
To become so heaven focused that you're no earthly good?
I think the answer is somewhere in between.
I can't go back. 
There must be beauty in this new journey.
This new family structure.
Cedric pulls the tank and tractor up to the house.

He is so happy. Pure joy.
A farmer friend has blessed us with the use of their equipment.
And our boy is thrilled.
He needs this.
This is the reality now.
I can trust God with all of it. Even in the heart stopping moments.
I need to.
Another unexpected tragedy may happen. We are not immune. 
God is reminding us to;
Be assured that what ever does come our way it has passed through the hands of the Father first.

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love;
 I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.


He loves us. Nothing can ever change that love. 
He pursues us with a passion. 
We need to respond. 

Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, 
but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

There will come a time when everything will not pass through the lens of an accident.
Of Police Officers in my home telling me of a terrible loss.
I won't tremble at the sound of sirens.
It's a new day. Won't you join me in starting fresh?
Seeking God; trusting that each moment of today is aptly in his hands.
Resting in the hope of His promises.

"This world has nothing for me 
This life is not my own. . .
I know you go before me and I am not alone.
I know you go with me and I will never fear.
I will trust in you.
Whatever may come our way. . . . we won't be shaken."